What is good taste in music?

Tekena suggested I write something about this and I thought good idea. What does it take to be a person with good taste in music, fashion, or movies? I guess it’s time to look within and look outside and explore this. So here’s a (relatively) short read on what I think is good taste.

“You have good taste in music/fashion/whatever”

It’s a great compliment to hear. It means a lot to me when someone says I have good taste in something. But what is the underlying meaning? When I say someone has good taste what do I mean? I think when giving a compliment, you gotta mean it and be specific about it. It feels even better when someone follows up “you look good” with reasons why I look good.

What it takes to have good taste:

1. An Open Mind

I think it all begins with an open mind. I love classic rock. Lots of people do. Some people though think that classic rock is the only music that exists and ignore and decry anything else as inferior.

I generally would say my top genres are: literally any subgenre of rock from the 60s and 70s, R&B, soul, ska, disco, and reggae. I’m open to blues music or jazz, but it’s not my favourite. Generally, I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of country music, classical music, electronic music, or hip hop. Now this is generally speaking. There are exceptions. I’ve heard country songs that spark joy in me. I like progressive rock’s modernised take on classical – gimme ELO, Rick Wakeman, ELP, or Jon Lord. Early hip hop that incorporates a little disco is pretty good, I like a funky bassline.

2. The Ability to Adapt

Tekena said that being able to pick songs from various genres that have appeal to those outside the subculture/fandom is a sign of good taste. And I think a good ear.

Think of the tastemakers of radio back in the day. Sure, record labels released songs as singles, but the consumers and tastemakers ultimately decide what’s hot and what’s not. DJs had some degree of freedom and a lot of them decided what was going on the air. They had an ear for what would have wide appeal and what would be a hit. Listeners would call in and say they want to hear that song again or ask what’s that song called.

Someone who really knows their music can name a song from their preferred genre that would have crossover appeal. This leads me to my next point…

3. Knowledge and Passion

These things can be applied to anything: fashion, decor, movies, books, you name it. You know what you’re talking about and can well articulate why you like something. When you explain what you like well, you sound like more of an authority. Being knowledgeable means you can make connections between things and be able to suggest music that someone might also like.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough. A love of music/art/whatever is important to having good taste. If you don’t love something and have fun with it, what’s the point? Passion makes you stand out in a crowd of fans. The most memorable fans are the ones who are enthusiastic and supportive.

In conclusion

A person with good taste in “X” isn’t necessarily someone who agrees with you the most on things. It’s about having an open mind, willing to explore new horizons. Adapting to other people’s tastes and not losing touch with that is important too. I appreciate learning about different types of music and I love to hear suggestions that are tailored to what I already like. With that, you need knowledge and passion about the subject. Know what you’re talking about and show enthusiasm.

On my blog, I strive to be a sources that is accessible and easy to read, but packed full of facts. I want to encourage music fans out of their musical comfort zones and get them to try new things. I love getting music suggestions from readers and I love reading fellow music bloggers’ work and that’s how I learn about new things. I never want to stop learning and sharing. This blog is a demonstration of my growth in music taste.

We can all have good taste in music.

Until next time!

Angie

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We live in amazing times, where we can access huge volumes of music with the click of the button. There’s no excuse really not to try out new things.

I saw my friends get set in their musical ways by their 20s, and I made a conscious decision to try and keep up. I don’t think this decade has been particularly good for rock music, so for rock fans, it’s relatively slim pickings, especially in the mainstream. On the other hand, there’s been some plenty of great pop, hip hop, and indie music this decade.

Very true! I feel lucky to live today. We have so much access to everything: TV shows, music, information. I can listen to what I want when I want and find obscure and forgotten gems. It’s really cool to make all the connections between musicians.

There’s great music in every era and decade. You just gotta find it. I used to not listen to stuff after the 70s, but I found that I was missing out on so much great music.

I agree though that this decade has been slim pickings for us rock fans, but on the positive side, it’s good to branch out and listen to something a bit different.

Great question! Good taste to me is finding music you love and yes being open to discovery. Finding one band can lead to other associated acts. Even if other folks think you have poor taste, you are true to yourself and that is what counts.

I agree about slim pickings in rock in the 2010s. I can’t think of many I go back to. I’ve enjoyed the two most recent albums by The War on Drugs. Toto surprised me with XIV (2015), a surprisingly strong late career pop rock LP. Jack White’s solo stuff is pretty good too.

I’ll have to listen to some Jack White. I’ve listened to some early War on Drugs stuff when Kurt Vile was in the band, but I’ll have to give more of their stuff a listen. My favourite modern bands are: Tame Impala, Pond, Temples, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and my top pick Greta Van Fleet.

Lost in the Dream by War on Drugs is high on my list of best albums of the decade. Jack White’s latest from 2018 is wildly experimental, I prefer Blunderbuss and Lazaretto which have a more traditional blues rock sound.
Good list of modern acts! I love Tame Impala’s synthy direction on Currents, fantastic album. Must make time to listen to Innerspeak and Lonerism. Remember liking the retro-60s Sun Structures by Temples.
Where do you stand on the Greta Van Fleet – Led Zeppelin similarity debate? Perhaps you’ve already written on that.

I haven’t written a post specifically about the comparison, but I think that Greta Van Fleet are young and while they’re very Led Zeppelin like in sound, they’re not the first band to be compared to them. I think they’ll evolve and change. I have faith in them.